Xanti Pupuma, the coach of Milford FC, expressed strong disappointment after his team suffered a defeat on Wednesday. He questioned the consistency of the decisions made by the referees during the match against Mamelodi Sundowns, which took place at Loftus Versfeld stadium.
Pupuma was particularly upset about the decisions concerning Sundowns' first goal, as well as an incident in the second half when the referee initially seemed to be about to show a red card but then replaced it with a yellow one.
The discussion about the officiating gained added intensity amid ongoing debates about the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system at the local level. After elevating his team to elite football, Pupuma encountered for the first time what has become an integral part of South African Premier League (PSL) matches.
After the game, Pupuma told SuperSport: 'Honestly, this is the first time I leave a game with a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe because of all the cocaine I used. But actually, I think some rules are applied to us and not to other teams.'
Despite the result, the Milford coach noted that his team fought well against the Brazilians, especially during the first 45 minutes. He added: 'It's a bit unfair, look at the end of the day, we should have won the game, and they scored goals; the second goal... my players fell asleep, maybe the substitutions caused it.'
He also emphasized: 'Overall, I think their performance was quite good, especially in the first half and in some moments of the second half.'
Pupuma's frustration stemmed from the belief that the laws were being applied inconsistently. He asserted that Milford had previously faced penalties in similar situations. 'It really annoys me because we were in this situation before, and these rules were applied to us, but when it comes to us, we hear that they are not applied,' he said.
He detailed the second-half incident: 'Not only that, even in the second half, when there was a trip in the middle of the field—the referee takes out a red card and even puts it back, and then gives a yellow card, seeing whom he was about to warn.'
For Pupuma, these decisions undermined what he considered a competitive contest in which Milford arrived at Loftus determined to challenge the African champions. Nevertheless, he decided not to let the loss or the frustration over the officiating derail the team's season. 'I know these things ruin our lives and spoil a good game where we truly came to establish ourselves, but we will not look down on ourselves,' he stated. 'We will get up and play Chippa on the weekend and see what happens.'